Politics in transition: Passau Politics Days analyze new challenges

Politics in transition: Passau Politics Days analyze new challenges

The Passau Politics Days 2025 are just around the corner and promise exciting discussions about the future of democracy in Germany. The series of events will take place from June 11th to 13th, 2025 University of Passau instead, in Audimax Lecture Hall 9. The motto “Germany after the election – perspectives for a new beginning” serves as a guide for experts and citizens who want to actively address central questions of political and social change.

The event is aimed not only at students and academic circles, but also at all interested parties and media representatives. Recently, the political landscape in Germany has changed, which makes the context of the Passau Politics Days particularly relevant. After the recent elections to the EU Parliament and the state elections in Hesse, Bavaria, Saxony, Brandenburg and Thuringia, it is clear that the classic popular parties such as the CDU and SPD have suffered significant losses of votes. In contrast, the AfD and Alliance 90/The Greens have grown significantly, showing a clear change in the party system that can no longer be ignored buhv.de notes.

Event details at a glance

The Passau Politics Days have been a forum for socio-political issues for 15 years and are organized by the students of the GoverNet – Staatsforschung e.V. association. The first evening, on June 11th at 6:30 p.m., is dedicated to the topic “The power of the markets – what price do our values ​​have?” The tensions between global economic interests and a human rights-based foreign policy are discussed here. The guests include prominent representatives such as Dr. Nikolas Keßels from the Federation of German Industries and Bernd Hüttemann from Transparency International Germany. Britta Jacob from the Democratic Strategy Initiative e.V. will moderate the event.

The second evening on June 12th at 8 p.m. will address the challenges of the party landscape using the topic “Parties in transition – between proximity to citizens and loss of trust”. Experts like Dominik Hirndorf from the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V. discuss the future viability of the German party system. The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Michael Weigl, a representative of the University of Passau.

The last evening, on June 13th at 6:30 p.m., focuses on the question "Politics without compromise? Cooperation vs. competition". The importance of compromises in the political center is discussed here. Guests such as Philipp Türmer, federal chairman of the Jusos, as well as representatives of the Left Youth and the Green Youth Passau are invited. Maria Lisa Schiavone from the University of Passau will moderate the event.

Change in the party system

The changes in the political climate are also reflected in the party system. Loud bpb.de The German party system, traditionally dominated by the CDU/CSU and SPD, was replaced by a “fluid five-party system”. This development has led to the erosion of previous party loyalties, raising questions about the future stability and legitimacy of the political system.

With the rise of new forces such as the AfD and the Greens, a discussion about the causes and future direction of the party system is necessary. The social interests represented by parties are diverse and changing, which represents a significant challenge for all political actors.

According to Article 21 of the Basic Law, political parties act as mediators between citizens and state organs, which underlines their central role in the formation of political will. The change in the party system not only represents a challenge for the current political structures, but also an opportunity to rethink the political processes in Germany.

The three evenings of the Passau Politics Days offer a valuable platform to discuss these topics and to sharpen understanding of the changes in the German party system. The active participation of all interested parties will be crucial.